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Jumpers take flight in summer Springer Tournee

By

August 4, 2008

The 10th annual North American Springer Tournee wrapped up Sunday at the Utah Olympic Park in Park City with Abby Hughes and Avery Ardovino each taking top honors in a women's K90 jump and Anders Johnson sweeping both men's events over the weekend.PARK CITY, Utah — The 10th annual North American Springer Tournee wrapped up Sunday at the Utah Olympic Park in Park City with Abby Hughes and Avery Ardovino each taking top honors in a women's K90 jump and Anders Johnson sweeping both men's events over the weekend. The Springer Tournee is an annual summer competition that brings nordic ski clubs together for a weekend of ski jumping and nordic combined competition. Hughes, an athlete on the U.S. jumping team, kicked the weekend of competition off on Friday night with a win in what would be the first of two jumping competitions on the K90 hill with a 90.5-meter jump. "It gives me a confidence boost going into these summer competitions. I'm just excited to see how everything goes," Hughes said. Jessica Jerome and Alissa Johnson, also members of the U.S. squad, followed Hughes in second and third place for the day. According to Hughes it meant a lot for her to be able to win in her hometown and to be a part of a competition she's been involved in since it began. "I was there at the first one, and to see it grow so much and to have so many athletes is awesome. I'm thankful for all of the officials who contribute all their time," Hughes said. "A lot of work went into it, and it's good that we could put on a good show for them." The ski jumping competition wrapped up on Sunday with Ardovino winning with a distance of 94.5 meters on the K90. "It was really great to win this event before heading out to compete in Europe," Ardovino said. "It was a good way to see where I am at in my competition level, and I can take the confidence from this win and build on it in the coming competitions." Hughes followed Ardovino in second and Jerome took third in the final jumps. While U.S. women's head coach Kjell Ivar Magnusson is preparing in Norway for the team's arrival, teammate Lindsey Van assumed coaching duties in preparation for the Springer Tournee. "I took myself out of the teammate role and put myself into the coaching role," Van said. "I like it. I've coached for a long time and it's really not that different except that the team is more technically advanced than the kids I've coached in the past." When asked how it felt to be coaching her teammates, Van said, "So far it's going well. They've had some good jumps in the last week and I think they're ready to get to Europe." In the men's ski jumping competitions Johnson won both events with a 97 meter jump on Friday and 91.5 meters Sunday. The U.S. team's Sarah Hendrickson competed in a junior nordic combined event during the weekend tournament and won the event after taking first in the jump and cross-country portions of the event. The U.S. nordic combined team's Brett Camerota finished second in the men's nordic combined competition, which was won by Sturla Sandoy of Norway. With the Springer Tournee now finished, the jumperrs now head to Bischofsgruen, Germany, for a Continental Cup Aug. 10.